The present invention relates to a solid processing agent supplying device for a silver halide photographic material, to a unit to modify an installed automatic processing apparatus using a liquid processing agent so as to use a solid processing agent, and to an automatic processing apparatus on which the supplying device and the unit are mounted. More concretely, the present invention relates to a solid processing agent supplying device for silver halide photographic material with which the conventional automatic processing apparatus not being provided with a solid processing agent supplying device is modified so as to allow the solid processing agent supplying device to be mounted thereon with the smallest modification, to a unit to modify the installed automatic processing apparatus using the liquid processing agent so as to use a solid processing agent, and to an automatic processing apparatus on which the supplying device and the unit are mounted.
After exposure, a silver halide photographic material is subjected to processing with processing solutions, such as a developing solution (or a color developing solution as required), a bleaching solution, a fixing solution, a bleach fixing solution and a stabilizing solution. The processes are usually conducted in an automatic processing apparatus. In this case, a method of replenishing a replenishing solution is ordinarily adopted so that each processing solution in its respective processing tank is controlled so as to keep its chemical activity.
In the case of the method of replenishing the replenishing solution, the objective is to dilute the accumulation of the dissolving-out materials from the photographic material in the,processing solution, to compensate for an evaporation and to replenish consumed components. Due to the solubility of the photographic components in the replenishing solution, usually, a large amount of overflow solution is discharged.
In order to conduct the processing of photographic material on a commercial basis, it is required to reduce cost and labor work, to reduce pollution, to make the processing apparatus as compact as possible. Also, in order to enhance the commercial value, it may be required as far as possible to obtain a stable and superior processing capability with a small amount of the processing solution.
As a method to respond to these demands, Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection No. 5-119454 discloses a method of making almost all of the processing agent components in the form of solid processing agents and of supplying these directly into the processing tank.
The above method is a very effective method in attaining the above objective. However, the method is not applicable to a solution-replenishing type automatic processing apparatus a great number of which are in commercial use. In order to obtain the above benefits, it is often necessary to purchase a new automatic processing apparatus for solid processing agents.
To counter the above problems, Japanese Patent Application No. 5-304298 discloses a construction in which a solid processing agent is dissolved in a dissolving tank provided separately from an automatic processing apparatus. However, it has been found that the construction has various drawbacks. For example, since the dissolving tank is provided separately from the automatic processing apparatus, a additional floor space for the dissolving tank is needed in the vicinity of the automatic processing apparatus. Accordingly, such required space raises problems for the so-called "Mini-Labo" with limited floor space. Further, since it is necessary to circulate the processing solution through pipes between the dissolving tank and the automatic processing apparatus, an additional great amount of processing solution is needed. Further, since the dissolving tank containing a great amount of processing solution is distant from the automatic processing tank which is warmed up with heat sources such as a pump, a heater and a dryer, the temperature of the dissolving tank is lowered during a pause in processing in winter time. Accordingly, it has been found that a trouble that photographic chemicals may deposit on the pipe line and the dissolving tank may take place easily. Still further, in order to circulate the tank solution in the dissolving tank, equipment including at least a circulating pump, a filter and a pipe is needed. As a result, it has been found that there is a defect that a great amount of cost is required for the equipment.